The Book Prologue: Soko
by Soko Ikovan
Summary: Written before the events of 'The Book', this tale tells the story of the fox thief Soko Ikovan, friend to Mag and Xhiko, from the very beginning.
1. Prologue

Here's the prologue of the prologue! :D This is supposed to be akin to a journal entry Soko writes later on in the story. She's been captured… . But here's a peek. Please Enjoy!

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March 20, 1611

_Have you ever had that feeling? You know, the one that makes you want to just get up and run as far as you can and never go back? It's a restless feeling that begins in the marrow. No matter what you do, you cannot shake it until you give your soul what it longs for. I do not often find myself as restless as this. Only when the leaves change from emerald to rust and the moon comes out to dominate the clear, crisp sky does my heart long to be free of this place._

_The evening sky, painted with clouds of pink and purple, sings out to me and I long to answer its call. As the cold wind wraps around my form, I feel my soul pull at its bindings. Some people do not hear the cry of the Earth as she settles down into winter. Only those of the kindred soul are haunted by her song. Alas that my veins be filled with vixen blood! Shall I be forced to endure this torture until the sun's rays warm the Earth and body? Only when I leave this place will I be sated._

~Soko Ikovan  
Princess of Thieves~


	2. Chapter 1

**This is chapter one! The beginning of the adventure! ^^ This is so exciting!**

**I hope you all enjoy. Please leave comments!**

**Disclaimers:**

**I do not own _any_ of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters (Yoko, Hiei, Jin, etc.). I wish I did… but I don't. ;.; They may be a little out of character, but it's my story and I can warp things a little. :3**

**However, I do own just about everyone else, including but not limited to Soko, her parents, Ritsu, everyone in the camp, all the bad guys, and the random passerby. ^^ So please don't kidnap them… or feed them to the rabid potatoes. O.o**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

It's true what they say; your life really does flash before your eyes. Every moment, every memory, replayed as you inch closer and closer to death. I've known people to get lost in these memories, which is why they looked so peaceful as the life was ripped from their bodies. I, however, try to stay focused on the task at hand. One wrong move now and I will be joining my fallen comrades. But even as I shake my head to clear the thoughts, the memories just keep flowing from the depths of my mind to merge with my vision. As I run through the labyrinth of corridors, prize in hand and guards on my tail, I'm taken back to the earliest moments of my life.

~*~

My earliest memory was that of my mother and father. They raised me in a little house on the boundaries of my mother's homeland. She was a young and beautiful fox maiden; fair skinned with golden eyes and white hair and fur. She was a kind woman with the ability to charm nearly anyone she met. I think her laughter was what captured my father. A human man from the arctic region of Eurasia (modern-day Russia), he possessed dirty blonde hair and green eyes. His skin was also fair, but rough from the hard labor he did for a living. They loved each other more than anything, except me. I've always thought that they would have done anything for me. I can remember days when I was ill; how father would nearly be late for work fussing over me and then coming home that night and asking to see me first, then for dinner. Mother appreciated it a lot, I think, knowing that her husband worried about the two of us even though he had other things to deal with.

They had named me Soko as a play off of a piece of art that my mother cherished. They called me their little masterpiece. I had my mother's fox traits, though they were silver instead of white, as well as her hair and eyes. I wasn't as delicate looking as she was. I was built more like my father, strong and lean. Mother always wondered if the fox side of me would come through in my personality. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to find out just how much the fox blood dominated my being.

I had lived peacefully with my parents for 64 years when the soldiers arrived at the door. My father was old, too old to defend my mother and I. They easily captured him. Mother had told me to hide outside in the bushes. She confronted the soldiers, demanding to know what was going on. They grabbed her and pulled her away from the house. She saw my father and attacked the soldiers holding him. I gaped as the rosebushes grew wildly and wrapped their thorny stems around the soldiers. My mother danced in the middle of it all, directing the plants. She took out many of the troops, but it wasn't enough. A vulpine soldier created a massive fireball from nothing and hurled it at my parents. My mother clutched at my father's form as they burned alive. Sometimes, I dream about their deaths. Their screams haunt me to this day.

The soldiers burned my house after searching it for anything of value. I heard one of them mention me. They began to search the forest for me, so I ran away. I was just a kit. I had just witnessed the murder of my parents and now I was all alone. I was crying as I fell to my little knees hours later. I was cold, tired, and hungry. My parents had kept me sheltered from the rest of the world. I had no idea what was going on, or why my parents were gone. I curled up around the gnarled roots of a nearby tree and cried myself to sleep.

Somehow, I survived for three weeks on my own. When I was found by a traveling wolf demon, I was too weak to even lift my head to look at him. He picked me up and carried me a few miles to a large camp. The smell of food woke me from my weary slumber. I remember being taken to a large tent where there was an older wolf sitting at a table, papers scattered before him. A woman with large raven's wings sat near him, a scroll in her hands, reading off items to the wolf. Upon our entrance, the two looked up from their work to greet us.

~*~

"What is it, Kiba?", the older wolf asked. The wolf that was carrying me, who I assumed was Kiba, kneeled in front of the table. "I don't mean to interrupt your work, Kota, but I found a pup not far from the camp. She's underfed and shaking like a leaf.", he said, pulling me out from inside his jacket. He stood and held me so Kota could see me. I turned my half-lidded gaze at the man, who had an uninterested look on his face. "So? You know that we can't just take in every runaway that we come across. We don't have enough food to feed her.", he said. I let out a little cough, snuggling closer to Kiba's body. "But sir, she's a fox pup… and she reeks of humans.", Kiba argued. Kota raised an eyebrow. "Then she belongs to the humans?" "Their scent wouldn't still be on her after the way it's been raining.", Kiba said, a smirk on his face. "So then… you think…" Kiba nodded. "That she's the mutt pup that the humans are looking for." The woman in the chair stood up. "She's worth enough money to feed the whole camp for a year!", she exclaimed. Kiba laughed. "Yeah!"

The tent flap opened. A young sapphire fox entered, a sack slung over his shoulder. Kiba turned to look at him. The fox saw me and gasped, dropping the bag he was holding. "You know what this is, Ritsu? This is the pup that's going to feed us for the next year!", Kiba said, holding me out to the boy. Ritsu stepped forward and grabbed me from Kiba's hands. "You can't be thinking about turning her in!", the fox gasped. "And why the hell not?", Kiba questioned, placing his hands on his hips. "She's silver. Only Inari's chosen ones are silver! Turning her in would doom us all!", Ritsu said. Kiba opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Kota. "He has a point, Kiba.", he said. "Angering the God of Harvest is a risk I am not willing to make." Kiba growled, glaring at Ritsu and I. "Kiba, we can get food by other means. Besides, I brought back some things to sell.", Ritsu said, reaching down to pick up the tote that he had dropped. He walked forward and placed the bag on the table with a soft _clink_. Kota furrowed his brows but pulled the bag closer to open it. He smiled and turned to the fox. "Good work, Ritsu. I knew there was a reason I kept you here for so long.", Kota said, closing the bag and placing it on the floor next to his chair. Ritsu chuckled, his eyes closing in mirth. "It was my pleasure, Kota." He opened his eyes and looked down at me. His aqua eyes examined me before coming to rest on my tired golden orbs. "With your permission, Kota, I would like to care for the kit. She'll be my total responsibility.", he said, looking up at his leader. Kota nodded. "Very well, Ritsu. You may keep her, but you will not get extra rations; just enough to keep you both healthy. And if she causes trouble, you will face the consequences. Understood?" Ritsu nodded and bowed. "Yes sir. Thank you, Kota. She will not be a problem." I gazed up into his face as we left the tent. Even though the rain pelted down and chilled my bony form, I felt a sense of warmth and security beneath the fox's cloak that I hadn't felt since before my parents died.

~*~

Within a few days, I was well enough to walk around and explore my newfound home. Of course, Ritsu never left my side during these escapades. He pointed out everything and told me anything I wanted to know. He made sure that I got to eat and that I didn't get hurt. And all the while I could only think about my parents. I think he sensed this, but he didn't say anything. He understood that I needed some time to grieve, even if I was just a kit and didn't understand why. He held me when I cried and sung me to sleep every night, just like mother had done. It comforted me greatly.

One night, we were sitting at dinner. As usual, he split what he got with me with a smile. We sat around a small campfire with a few other people, some of whom I had met already. Ritsu was talking with them, laughing at funny stories and whatnot, as I sat to his right silently. They were telling jokes about each other when someone mentioned Ritsu's mother, how she had died at the hands of her husband. I looked up at him as he gave a weak chuckle. The group fell silent. "Do you miss your mommy, Ri'su?", I asked, my childish voice unable to pronounce the 't'. He looked down at me. There was a sad smile on his face. "Yes Soko. I miss her a lot.", he said. "Do you think she knows where my mommy and daddy are?", I asked. Ritsu sighed and put down his plate. He put his hands on my tiny shoulders. "No, but I'm sure that Inari-sama is taking care of your parents very well.", he said. "Can I go see them?", I asked. He gave me a sympathetic look and pulled me close to him. "Not until you're grown up.", he said. I pulled my brows together.

"Why?"

"Because Inari-sama only lets old people come see him and his guests." He pulled away to look at me.

"Old people?", I asked, tilting my head, silver locks spilling over my shoulder.

"Yeah.", he replied.

"Like Kota?", I asked.

Ritsu and a few others laughed a little. "No. _Older._", he said.

"_Older_? But Kota's really old!"

More laughter. Ritsu looked down at me, smiling. "Soko, I promise that when you're old enough, you'll get to see your mom and dad again." "Promise?", I questioned. "Yes, Soko. I promise. Now eat your food before it gets cold.", he said. I looked down at my plate. 'Once I'm older than Kota then I'll get to see mommy and daddy.' I thought. I smiled and looked up at Ritsu. "Thanks Ri'su!", I said, hugging the boy around the middle as far as my arms would reach. He stroked my silver head gently. "Sure thing.", he said. I let go and finished my meal, hopeful.

~*~

I was getting stronger with each passing day. And every day, I would be a little happier. I wasn't always thinking about my parents, and when I did I didn't cry as much. Slowly my life was starting to patch itself up. I was helping out around camp with whatever little thing I could do. Ritsu let me wander around by myself, having his own chores to busy himself with. Kota mostly had me taking things from place to place or sending messages. He was amazed at my level of curiosity. He was always having to pull me out of boxes and drawers. He only got mad at me once for playing with a bag of coins; after that, I stayed out of his tent. But I was quickly becoming a member of the camp. People waved at me when I tottered past. They would go out of their way to do things for me. Someone even made me a new outfit, along with a few others. I just thanked them all and smiled.

~*~

I stayed with the group for a long time. My toddler years passed quickly. By the time my 100th birthday came around, I was helping with chores like cooking, gathering, sewing, and cleaning. I was lean and strong and healthy. People always commented on my flexibility and agility. I was learning as much as I could about whatever caught my attention. I could count, spell, and write. Ritsu even began teaching me the language of our people, as well as coaching me with the common language. I took pride in my wit and sharp mind. After completing a physical training exercise one day, Ritsu pulled me over to our tent.

"Soko, I've been talking to Kota. We've watched you train and we've decided that it's time you learn a specific skill to help maintain the camp.", he said, folding his arms across his chest. I nodded. "What did you have in mind?", I asked. "I've thought about it…", he began. "And I think that you'd make a great thief." I blinked. "But… isn't that bad?", I asked. Ritsu's hands moved to his hips. "Well, it depends on a lot of things… like who you steal from, what you steal, and why.", he said. I bit my lip and nodded. "You've got the body type and the ability to be a very efficient thief. I can teach you the all the skills you'll need. I just need to know if you're willing to learn.", my adopted brother/teacher said. "I'm surprised I have a choice.", I admitted. Ritsu smirked. "Kota's really pushing for it. We've had some of our better thieves captured by bounty hunters in the past few years, and our gang has really relied on the income brought in from heists. We've been having to cut back on some things because we're not as prosperous as we've been in the past.", he explained. "But like I said, I want to know if this is something you want." I set my jaw and nodded once. "I'll do it.", I stated. "If that's where I'm best suited, then that's my place. I want to help." Ritsu smiled at me. He lay an arm over my shoulder. "Then, Soko my pupil, come with me and you will learn the ways of the Thief.", he said in an old man accent. I laughed and followed him into the tent to begin my training. Little did I know that what I was going to learn would be the foundation of the rest of my life.

~*~  
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Nifty? Horrible? Let me know! Comments are always appreciated! :D

~*~Soko~*~


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! This is the second chapter of my story. In this chapter, I go out on my first heist as a lookout and learn of my nifty powers! XD I'm so excited! I hope you are too! On with the fic!**

**All disclaimers still apply. .**

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Chapter 2

I trained with Ritsu everyday to become a thief. He would make me do lots of things to prepare me. The first task that he had me complete was reading a book he had written of all of the heists he had ever been on. He had written down all of the details, from the planning, to the reconnaissance, and finally the job itself. To me, it was like reading a fairy tale. Many times I sat back and asked myself if Ritsu, the quiet and kind man that cared for me, could really have done all of the things in the book. When I asked Ritsu about it, he only laughed. "Keep reading.", he would always say. From this book of his, I learned about all of my keeper's secrets. And I began to learn. Even though I had not actually done any real training, I knew the correct way to execute many of the skills I would need.

Whenever I wasn't doing chores around the camp, I was reading. And Ritsu would add to the book every time he came back from an assignment. Once I had finished reading all that had been written, I returned the book to my teacher. He took me outside and into the forest. That is where he taught me the real skills that would make me a professional thief. He had set up a training course for me to practice basic skills such as lock picking, sneaking through rooms, scaling walls, and stealth. I would run through these courses for hours each day until I had mastered them, and then Ritsu would change them and the objective. Once I had the basic skills, I moved on to more difficult lessons. I trained for 36 years under Ritsu before he let me accompany him on a heist.

We had set out with three others from our gang: Rei, a panther, Tamo, a lizard, and Shryli, a water nymph. We arrived at the palace. Ritsu told me that it was rather small, so the security probably wouldn't be very hard to deal with. I had never seen such a big building in my life. My teacher only chuckled at my awe-stuck expression. He made his way up to his chosen entry point, a small window.

~*~

"Alright, Soko. This is your first time out in the field.", Ritsu said, looking in through the window. "Even though you're only a look out, I want you to pay attention to everything around you. I want you to learn as much as you can on this job, but I really want you to be safe. Don't let yourself get sidetracked, alright?" He turned his aqua eyes to me, a stern look on his face. I nodded, too anxious to speak. He gave me a reassuring smile and clapped his right hand on my shoulder. "Relax. You'll do fine. I'll be there to help you, and so will the rest of the gang.", he said. I gave him a small smile. "Yeah." Looking back into the palace, Ritsu scanned the hallway for guards and anyone else that could give us trouble. "Ready?", he asked. I nodded. Reaching into his leg pouch he pulled out a glasscutter. He carefully cut a small hole into the glass, catching it as it fell forward into the hallway. With the same hand he opened the lock and pushed the window open. Replacing the glasscutter and glass into his pouch, he took out a length of rope and tied it to one of the nearby gargoyles. "I'll go down first.", he told me. "I'll swing the rope when it's safe to come down."

He made his way down to the floor and looked around. He peeked around the corners to make sure no one was coming. He gave me the signal to follow. I silently scaled the inner wall, stopping just beside Ritsu in the grand hall. Two more of our gang followed, leaving the last to haul the rope back up before anyone could find it. Once everyone was set, we snuck our way through the hallways, avoiding guards and hallways that could lead to dead ends. Within minutes we were standing in front of a large set of wooden doors, reinforced with iron bands. Ritsu made quick work of the lock and opened one of the doors and peeked in. He gave the signal for the other two to go inside. He turned to me. "Now I need you to stand here and watch for anyone that comes by. If you hear anything, tap the door. If you see anyone, get inside. I don't need you getting caught, 'kay?" I looked up at him. "Yeah.", I whispered. He nodded once and disappeared inside the counting room.

I stood flat against the left door, watching and listening. I would have loved to be inside to see the treasure. I had been assured that I would get to see what we stole as soon as we got back to camp. All Ritsu and the others were doing was stashing as much as they could into their bags. I volunteered to carry some, but my teacher would have none of it. He said that in case we needed to get out in a hurry, he didn't want me weighed down. I couldn't argue with him and win. And honestly, I was glad he let me come on this heist. He had been watching this lord guy for several weeks before he caught a break and made the decision to rob him. He was supposedly the most powerful man in this part of the region. Bringing me here was a big risk, not just for the job and me, but for the rest of the gang as well.

I heard footsteps a few halls away and tapped on the door. I followed the sound with my ears. The steps seemed heavy and slow; someone was patrolling the halls. I focused on the sound and decided that the noise was getting closer and tapped again, a little louder. I could hear my group finishing up in the room behind me. Ritsu opened the door I was leaning against, causing me to stumble backwards a little bit. He placed a hand on my back to steady me. I looked up at him. "We're done.", he said. I turned around to look at the room. I could tell where the three thieves had taken gold coins and jewels. On the wall next to the open safe was a shadow; it looked like a fox, curled up to look like a water droplet. On the floor was a lantern. Propped up against it was the piece of glass from the window. I looked up at Ritsu. "I have to leave my mark. It's part of the business.", he said. I smiled and looked back at the etching on the glass. "Ritsu, we should go.", Rei said quietly, hoisting the bag onto his back. A hand touched my shoulder and I turned around. "Let's go, Soko.", Ritsu said. I nodded and followed the others out of the room.

"I heard the patrolman down that hall.", I said as we came up to the corner. We stopped as Rei looked around the corner. After a moment he told us to cross the corridor. I crossed with Ritsu between the guard and me. Rei soon followed us. Ritsu ran quietly ahead of us with me at his side as we made our way around more guards and back to the window. He looked around one of the statues in the hallway to look out the window and get Shryli's attention. As soon as she spotted us, she opened the window and lowered the rope. The four of us quickly snuck over to the rope. I was sent up first. I climbed as fast as I could. I was nearly to the window when I heard a shout behind me. I turned to see two guards running toward us. "Soko go!", Ritsu said, still standing on the ground. Rei and Tamo were already making their way up the rope beneath me. I looked forward and scampered up the rope. Shryli pulled me up. I stood on the ledge, listening to the sounds coming up from the hallway. Slowly the other two emerged from the window. "Ritsu, come on!", I called, worry etched in my features. I heard a grunt, followed by a thud. Another soon followed. Another moment later, Ritsu came from the window. He let it swing shut behind him. "We should leave before the come after us.", he said, panting a little.

We had no troubles leaving the grounds. As far as I know, no one followed us. Ritsu still insisted that we keep a fast pace until we were at least five miles from the palace. We stopped to catch our breath. I collapsed onto the forest floor, breathing heavily. The others sat near me, panting. Ritsu started laughing. I couldn't help but join him. The others began laughing too. I only stopped when I couldn't breathe anymore. The sapphire fox sat down next to me with a sigh. He gazed at me, mirth in his eyes. "So, Soko. What do you think?", he asked me. I smirked. "I think you should let me see what we got." He laughed again. "Very well. You've earned a peek.", he replied, opening the bag he carried. I gazed inside at its contents. My eyes widened as a smile crept onto my face. "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?" I tore my eyes away from the gold and jewels to look into the eyes of my tutor. "The best feeling in the world.", I said. Ritsu smirked. "Yeah it is. And you didn't even do the thieving this time. Just wait until you get to the good stuff.", he said, closing the bag and resetting it on his back. "When will that be?", I asked, standing up. "When you're ready to do it without my help.", Ritsu said, baring a fang as he grinned. I pouted. As we made our way back to camp, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. You're learning really fast. You'll be pulling off your own heists in no time at all!" I sighed. I knew he was right. I didn't need to dive in headfirst if I wasn't prepared. "Once I'm ready, will I have to plan the whole thing myself?", I asked. Ritsu nodded. "Yeah. But I'll look over it to make sure that it's good. I won't completely throw you out on your own." I smiled. "We can even practice planning things, if you want." I looked up at him. "That would be great!", I said. "I'll set up something for you as soon as we get home. You can start first thing tomorrow morning.", he told me. I was beaming. He smiled back at me as the camp came into view a few hundred yards ahead.

~*~

I practiced planning heists the next day. I was instructed to observe the target and take notes. I gathered information and got all of the 'tools' I would need for the job. I did this between jobs; Ritsu still wanted me to accompany him to get a feel for the field. I watched him work and filed everything away in my mind to use later when I was out on my own. I soon learned of his ability to control water, as he used it during many of his heists. I asked him about this power of his, how he got it and if I could learn to do it, as well. The man laughed and placed a hand on my head. He told me that you had to be born with a skill like that, or have extremely flexible energy. I had asked him what he meant. Ritsu explained that every living thing had energy flowing inside it. This energy could be controlled and used to manipulate things, like elements, other living things, or other energy. He also said that not everyone could control his or her energy. My ears drooped at that. Ritsu smiled and said that he knew I would be able to find my talent soon enough. I was already using my energy to heal my injuries quickly. All I had to do was find my 'element'.

It turns out I found it on the very next heist. It was deep in the forest. A caravan was transporting valuables to Rao, a city deep in Dragon territory. We were going to take the last wagon and leave it at that, but it was filled with soldiers instead of jewels. Our little band of thieves was fighting off the troops in order to escape, but more just kept coming.

~*~

Ritsu was fighting with only a canteen of water. Other members of our group had drawn their swords and other weapons. I was forced to engage myself in hand-to-hand combat. The only weapon I ever carried with me was a small dagger hidden inside my right boot, and that was only for Ritsu's peace of mind. Other than that, I was unarmed. I delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of a soldier's head and landed in a crouched position. Three more soldiers were coming towards me, each wielding a katana. I snarled and pounced at the closest one, tackling him to the ground. I managed to free him of his sword, but his buddies came to the rescue. A blade came across my line of vision, giving me a mere second to roll and avoid most of the attack. A hand rose to my cheek and came away covered with my own blood. I looked up from my seat just as a heavy boot connected with my head. I skidded a few feet to land in a thorn bush. I heard Ritsu's voice call my name, but I couldn't answer. My head was pounding and my vision was distorted. I tried to push myself up, but the thorns cut into my arms and legs. I blinked repeatedly, trying to clear my sight to no avail. The soldiers were advancing on my position. In my head, I was panicking. 'Am I going to die?', I thought, pulling frantically on my arms. 'If I can only reach the dagger…' A soldier raised his sword above his head, preparing to deliver the final blow and end my short life. I closed my eyes and screamed, anticipating a sword through my chest.

The pain never came. I cracked open a single golden eye. The soldier's face was contorted in pain. On further inspection, I found that the bush I was laying in was now tightly wrapped around the soldier before me. I gasped, remembering my mother, and crawled backwards, out of the bush and away from the soldier. His comrades were just as shocked as I was. They got over it quickly and came after me. I stood up. I closed my eyes for a moment to try to remember the way my mother had moved the day the soldiers came to my house. I opened my eyes again and performed the moves as best as I could. 'Please, I need your help!', I thought, calling out to the nearby vegetation. Some of the smaller plants responded to my plea and wrapped themselves around the troops. Soon, neither of the soldiers could move even a finger. I stopped moving and stepped back, amazed. I had done all of that on my own. Suddenly I felt faint. I collapsed to my knees, exhausted. I fell sideways, right into Ritsu's arm. I remember him looking to his right at the soldiers before I passed out.

~*~

I woke up in my tent at camp, my head still throbbing. I looked around. Ritsu wasn't there. There was a lantern lit and sitting on the floor by my bed. No light came in from outside the tent, signaling the coming of night. I slowly sat up, my wounds wrapped in clean bandages. Growling emitted from my stomach. My limbs barely had enough strength to push me up and take me outside. The camp was very still tonight. People were sitting around campfires nursing their wounds or eating soup. I looked around for my teacher and couldn't find him. I was worried. I slowly made my way over to Kota's tent. There were people arguing inside; one was Kota, the other was Ritsu. I stood outside and listened. Kota wasn't happy about our failure today. Ritsu was trying to explain, but our leader would have no excuses. I heard Kota shout before the sound of skin violently contacting with skin reached my ears. There was a moment of silence before Ritsu exited the tent, his cheek bright red. I followed him as best I could; he was walking too fast for my injured body to keep up with.

"Ritsu!", I called, hoping to slow him down. He just ignored me. "Ritsu!!!", I shouted again. He didn't stop. I frowned and made the grass wrap itself around one of his ankles to stop him. He looked down and then turned to me, anger burning in his eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!", he shouted. In my surprise I quickly returned the plant to its original state. Ritsu came over to me. "You know you're too weak to waste your energy like that! I thought I taught you better!", he screamed, inches from my face. My ears drooped to a submissive position. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok…", I muttered, tears forming in my amber eyes. The fox's expression softened a little as he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. We lost more people than I had originally thought and Kota's pissed because we were counting on that job to feed us for the next few months.", he said, running a hand through his blue hair. He looked back at me. He reached out and pulled me into his embrace. "I didn't mean to yell at you, Soko. I'm not mad at you, only worried about you.", he said. I wrapped my arms around his waist as a few tears escaped my closed eyes. He stroked my silver head protectively. "I was scared.", he whispered. I looked up at him. My teacher, my fearless 'big brother', was scared? He gave me a subtle smile. "You mean the world to me, Soko. When I saw those soldiers attack you, I though I was going to lose you." He wiped my tears away. "But then you made the plants _dance_, and I knew you had a chance.", he said, his smile growing. I giggled. "That rhymes, Ritsu.", I said. He chuckled. "Yeah, it does."

We retired to the tent to eat dinner. As Ritsu sat down with his bowl of soup, I thought about my newfound ability. "My mom could control plants, too.", I said quietly. My companion looked up at me from his bowl. "That would explain where you got it from.", he said. "I tried to copy her today. I only saw her use it once, when she was fighting the soldiers that burned our house… She looked so graceful when she did it, not at all like what I felt like…", I rambled. Ritsu swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking. "You just found out that you have the ability to control plants. You can't expect to become a master at it overnight. With practice, you will be able to do all kinds of techniques." I tilted my head a little as I gazed at him. "You can teach me?", I asked. He shook his head. "Unfortunately, controlling plants isn't the same as controlling water. Plants have their own living energy that you must work with, whereas water only has the energy of movement. You'll have to teach yourself.", he stated. I sighed. "Why do I feel so tired?", I asked. "You exerted too much energy trying to manipulate the plants. I suppose part of that is due to your fear, but most of it was because you don't know how to use your energy effectively.", Ritsu declared. "From what I understand, you can use the energy from the plants to make them move and just use your own energy to make them do what you want." I nodded and sipped my soup. "You should probably start learning what you can as soon as possible, but only after you heal." Ritsu was smiling. I emptied my bowl and put it down between us. A yawn escaped my throat. Ritsu set his bowl aside and lay me down. He pulled the blanket up to my chin. "Get some sleep, watashi no takara.", he said, kissing my forehead. I smiled and quickly fell asleep.

~*~

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Yay! Please leave comments!

~*~Soko~*~


	4. Chapter 3

**Squee! The third chapter is finally done! I've been stuck on this chapter for weeks, but it's all done now. This is the first heist I plan myself. It goes through the whole heist, which is what took so long. ^^; It probably isn't the best heist, description-wise, but I hope you like it nonetheless!**

**DISCLAIMERS!**

**Yes, they still apply. Don't hurt me. .**

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Chapter 3

It was raining. I was glad that I had brought a spare set of boots, for the pair I was wearing was soaked. I ran quietly through the trees to the wall of the giant fortress. Ritsu was soon beside me. "You know, when I said I wanted you to be prepared for anything, I wasn't really expecting this.", he said, lightning crashing overhead. I turned to him. "You're not going to stop me, Ri. I've spent months planning this heist. A little rain isn't going to stop me.", I whispered as I glanced around the corner through the wrought-iron gate. "Okay, okay. Do what you have to do.", came the reply. I pulled out a seed from my pouch and held it to the ground. With my energy, I made the seed grow into a pair of giant leaves that carried Ritsu and I to the top of the outer wall. Once we had made our way down to the other side, we used the garden paths to make our way to the castle. Caer Midnight was a giant gothic-like castle. A wealthy dark lord had this fortress built not long after the birth of his son. They used this place as their winter home. They owned another palace on the coast, surrounded by a large fishing village. The lord of the castle was not due to arrive for a few more days, giving me plenty of time to raid his treasure room.

Two large windows overlooked the garden. I used some of the ivy clinging to the wall to hoist Ritsu and I up to the window. The room was dark and empty. I smiled and pulled on the pane of glass. To my surprise and delight, the window was open. I landed inside quietly, my boots squishing a little as they hit the carpeted floor. Ritsu closed the window behind us. "Get rid of the water.", I said, motioning to my wet form. My teacher rolled his eyes but pulled the water from our clothes and stored it in his flask. I removed my boots and replaced them with my clean, dry pair. Making sure that there was no trace of us in the room, I headed out into the hallway with Ritsu right behind me. There were no guards in this section of the corridor. I took the opportunity to verify my location. I had memorized the blueprints of the castle weeks ago, knowing that I would need to at least be somewhat familiar with the labyrinth of hallways and rooms if I wanted to get out of here in a hurry. The window we had entered lead to the room of the dark lord's son, Zytao. The hallway we were in now was part of the West Wing. The treasure room was on the first floor in the North Wing. "Got your bearings?", Ritsu asked, looking down the other end of the hallway. "Yeah. Let's go.", I said, making my way towards the center of the palace.

I kept to the wall, using my fingers to search for the hidden door that lead to the servant's passageways. I kneeled to examine a length of baseboard. Sure enough, two nearly invisible spaces divided the stained wood. Following the spaces, I searched until I found the lever to open the door. It swung inwards to reveal a narrow, dimly lit corridor. I smirked. "Good. Keep going.", Ritsu encouraged, pushing me inside. I walked in and pulled out two white seeds. Using my energy, I grew the plants into small glowing weeds and wrapped the stem of one around the back of my hand. I turned to look at Ritsu as he closed the door silently. I handed him the other lamp weed. He attached his to the collar of his shirt. He nodded and we continued onward. I had decided to use the servant's passageways not only because they were out of sight, but they were also soundproof. Every door hinge was oiled to ensure that it wouldn't squeak. Old floorboards were replaced the moment they showed signs of age. Secret passageways couldn't be secret if you heard your servants walking through them. The only problem would be running into someone in the corridors. There wasn't much room to fight or hide.

When I was planning this heist, I had gone through all of the servant's corridors because I knew they would be more confusing than the palace's main hallways. When I saw that there were signs indicating where we were and which path lead to which room, I nearly laughed out loud. Ritsu was chuckling behind me as I choked on my fit of giggles. He patted me on the back to try to help me breathe easier. I gasped a full breath and leaned against the wall, tears of laughter still in my eyes. Quiet footsteps came from our left. I pulled Ritsu into a darkened corner as I used my power to close the bulbs of the lamp weeds. "I could have sworn I heard someone choking down this way.", a soft voice said. "Yeah. I heard it too.", a deeper voice agreed. Ritsu pulled me against his chest as he began to create an illusion. All kitsune had the ability to create illusions. It was one of our kind's special gifts given to us by Inari. However, it takes time to learn to create believable illusions, and I hadn't yet created a solid illusion. I slowed my breathing as the two servants walked into my vision. They stopped and looked around. One was a young feline girl, her yellow ears and tail standing out in the dark. Her hair was slightly darker. She was nearly as tall as Ritsu, but thinner and less muscular. Her companion was a tall panther. His skin was dark, but not nearly as dark as the black fur of his ears and tail. His hair matched his fur and fell to the middle of his back. He had a wide square nose that twitched as he sniffed the air around us. The yellow cat's tail swished back and forth nervously. Ritsu's arms tightened around me as the panther turned to face us. I froze as his eyes seemingly met mine. I knew that he couldn't see me, but having his yellow eyes staring at me, or rather _through_ me, was very unnerving. He began to walk towards us. I began shaking nervously in Ritsu's grasp. "Shh.", he whispered in my ear before I could whimper. The panther continued his approach, his nose still seeking out our scent. He came about an inch from my face. I wasn't breathing at this point. He stopped sniffing and stared through me directly in my eyes. I forced my eyes shut before he could look into my soul and see through our illusion. After a moment, I heard him step away. "It's nothing. Denali's probably just walking around with a cold.", he said to his partner. "You're probably right.", she said, letting out a sigh of relief. They walked off in the direction from which Ritsu and I had come. Once their footsteps faded into the distance, I let out the breath I had been holding and opened my eyes. "You ok?", Ritsu asked, his arms loosening from around me. I tilted my head back. "I could have sworn he was looking at my soul.", I replied quietly, looking up at my teacher. "Cats have superb senses.", he explained, helping me stand upright again. "But foxes have Inari's gift of illusion. Nothing can see what we keep hidden." I nodded. "Well, let's hope we don't have to do that again.", I commented, heading out into the junction of the hallways. "Let's keep going. I want to get to the treasure room as soon as possible."

We didn't run into anyone else in the dark passageways. We came out into a stone hallway. There was a red colored carpet that ran the length of the corridor. On the wall opposite us were huge glass windows easily reaching to the third or fourth story. They appeared every couple of yards on the wall. Where there weren't windows, tapestries covered the gray stone. Small tables stood between some of the windows, decorated with fresh cut flowers. I took careful note of the blossoms. "They've already put flowers out…", I whispered to Ritsu. He glanced down at me. "And?", he said. "Why put out flowers before the master gets here? They'll just wilt…", I explained, turning to look at my teacher. "… Unless he was coming back earlier than we thought.", he stated. I cursed under my breath. "If that's the case, we need to get moving." Ritsu nodded and we silently made our way down the hallway.

The entrance to the treasure room was guarded and elaborate. Two guards stood on either side of the heavy iron door. I had been expecting a little more resistance, but now with the threat of having the dark lord return earlier than expected, I didn't really see a difference. I looked around the corner and down the short passage to where the guards were standing. I couldn't just run out and attack them. I needed a distraction… or an illusion. I looked at Ritsu. "I need you to make me invisible so I can get close enough to them to knock them out.", I whispered. The blue fox nodded. I could feel as the energy wrapped around me. I pulled a red seed from my pouch as Ritsu gave me the ok to go. I nodded and slid around the corner. I tried to stay as close to the wall as I could without knocking anything over even if they couldn't see me. I crouched against the wall to the right of the door. The plant I had in my hand would emit a colorless, odorless pollen that would knock the guards unconscious. Ever since I had mastered my plants, I had been toying with anything and everything that could prove useful. As the deep red flower bloomed in my hand, I blew softly on its pistons. The pollen drifted up towards the guards. Within moments, both were out cold on the ground. I returned the flower to a seed and tucked it back in my pouch as Ritsu came around the corner. "Let's tie them up and take them in with us.", I said, taking out a coil of rope. Ritsu agreed and bound the guard closest him as I took out my lock picking kit. By the time the guards were tied up, I had opened the door. I pushed the door open and dragged one of the guards along as I entered.

Leaving the guards in a corner by the door, Ritsu and I looked around the treasure room. A large desk sat in the middle of the room. No doubt this chamber doubled as a counting room. I scanned the space around the desk, but found nothing of value. There was a large safe, taller than myself, embedded in the back wall. It had a dial the size of a large plate and the handle was encrusted with jewels. I walked over to the safe with Ritsu at my heels. "Be careful, Soko.", he instructed as I pressed my ear against the huge door. I shushed him as I began to work on the lock. Every time a tumbler fell into place, it sounded like thunder from the storm outside. A few minutes passed before the last tumbler clicked loudly, signaling that the door was unlocked. I smiled and stood straight. I looked at Ritsu. I knew my eyes were glittering with excitement. "Well, aren't you going to see what's inside?", he asked, motioning to the safe. I grinned and turned the handle over.

Past the door of the safe was a whole other room filled with gold and jewels. My eyes were about the size of the dial as I took a step inside. Ritsu quickly put his hand on my shoulder. I turned to look back at him. "What?", I asked, obviously put off at being stalled. He gestured to the inside of the safe door. There was no handle. I swallowed and looked up into his aqua eyes. "You could have been locked inside with no way out. Before going into any locked room, make sure you have an exit.", he told me. I looked away, a little ashamed that I had forgotten his teachings. "It's ok this time. I'm your partner and I can stand out here and be a watchman. But when you're on your own, you have to remember little things like that, alright?", Ritsu said. I nodded and looked up at him. He was smiling. I gave him a little smile. He motioned to the safe room. "Go on. Get what you want."

I collected whatever caught my eye. Jewelry, knives, small statues, and multiple bags of coins all stuffed into my pack with my dirty boots. Once my bag was full, I went and picked up a few more things for Ritsu. He chuckled as I handed him the stolen treasures. "Now leave your mark.", he instructed, seeing that I had filled both bags. I paused. I hadn't thought of a signature in all my excitement. Smiling as a thought came to mind, I walked over the center of the room where an alter stood. From the alter I had taken a heavy ruby necklace, ring, and earring set. Here in its place I placed a single white rose. Smirking, I turned back to Ritsu who stood just outside the door. He was smiling as well. "Nice. It's classy.", he said. I snorted and stepped out of the safe. Leaving the safe door open, we headed back out into the hallway.

Deciding to exit on the north side of the palace, we headed left out of the treasure room. "You know, Ritsu.", I said quietly, looking for a window small enough to hop out of. "They made this extremely easy for me. I mean, the window was open; they had signs in the servants' passages, only two guards at the treasure room… This is hardly a test of my skill." Ritsu chuckled. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Soko. We're not done yet. We still have to get out.", he said, pointing to a suitable window. I nodded as I bit my lip. Unlocking the window, I pushed the pane up and carefully made my way out of it. I scanned the area outside for any patrolmen. Finding only a few out by the wall, I waved Ritsu out. He closed the window. I pulled my hood up to cover my head from the cold rain and walked along the edge of the building, looking for a place to jump the wall. There was a small section of wall that had vines crawling up and over the top of it. Deciding that it was our best bet, I looked around before making my way over to the leafy vines. Ritsu was right behind me. I quickly started scaling the wall, using the vines as foot holes. Once on top of the ten-foot wall, I paused to wait for Ritsu. He looked up at me and motioned for me to keep going. Just as I nodded, a ball of energy struck me in the shoulder, knocking me off the wall. "Soko!", Ritsu called, coming up over the top of the wall. I lay on the ground outside the courtyard, my left shoulder bleeding badly. I cried out in pain. Ritsu jumped down and crouched beside me. "Come on, Soko. You need to get up. They've spotted us!", he exclaimed. My teeth clenched, I nodded, allowing him to pull me to my feet. A second later, guards came around the west-side wall. Ritsu pulled on my wrist as we ran from the palace, heading northwest into a dark forest.

The guards began shooting as they ran after us. I was constantly looking over my shoulder. "Don't worry about them!", Ritsu yelled. "Keep your eyes forward!" I knew that keeping your eyes forward helped keep you from getting caught in a trap, but I also knew that one of the guards would get lucky and hit his mark. I growled. Brushing plants with my hand as I passed by, I sent my energy to them to make them grow larger to block our path. I knew that using my energy like this could prove fatal later if I had to engage in combat, but right now I was hoping that this would prevent that. Sure enough, the sounds of the soldiers were growing fainter and fainter as Ritsu and I escaped from the palace grounds. We didn't stop running until we exited the forest on the other side. From here we would head westward towards the camp.

We reached the woodlands of our home just before dark. It was here that Ritsu stopped me. "How is your arm?", he asked, pulling out his canteen. I sat down on the ground and examined my wounded arm. It was still bleeding, but not as heavily as it had before. Nevertheless, I felt lightheaded. "The wound is deep.", Ritsu said as he kneeled beside me to examine the wound. I nodded, taking the open flask he offered. I drank gratefully. "Ri, I don't think I can walk back.", I told him, closing the canteen and handing it back to him. He was washing the wound on my arm with some water. "I don't think you should be walking, at this point.", he said. I nodded, leaning forward and resting my spinning head against his shoulder. I heard him chuckle. "It's alright Soko. You deserve some rest. I'll take you back to camp.", he said softly. I nodded against his shoulder and let him pick me up and carry me back to camp.

~*~

After I had awoken at camp, I was instructed to see Kota. I entered the tent to find him and Ritsu sitting at the table, quietly discussing something. I stood before them, cutting their discussion short. "You wanted to see me, Kota-san?", I asked, swaying slightly on my feet. The old wolf nodded. "Please, sit down before you hurt yourself.", he instructed. I nodded and sat in the chair in front of me. I waited for him to speak.

"Ritsu has been telling me the details of your assignment.", Kota said, looking through some papers on his desk. I didn't nod; I didn't have the energy. Kota continued. "I am surprised that you chose Caer Midnight as your target, seeing as how the lord of that castle is very powerful." "Men with power are usually men with money.", I said, leaning back in the chair and resting my face against my right hand. Kota chuckled. "Yes, that is usually the case." He folded his hands in front of him. "You have brought back a grand income, Soko. Such fine work cannot go unrewarded." I blinked and sat up a little. "Sir?", I questioned. Ritsu smiled. I looked at Kota. "I'm going to let you keep ten percent of your haul today, Soko. Usually I'm not so gracious.", he said. My jaw fell open. Ritsu usually only got to keep four to seven percent of his income. Ten percent was… an ungodly amount of money. "Thank you, Kota-san.", I said, rising from my chair. The old wolf gave me a toothy grin. From his desk he pulled out a bag of coins and sat it on the edge of the table in front of me. "You can use this money for whatever you want.", he told me. "I suggest using it to buy something _useful_." I reached out and picked up the heavy pouch. It was about as large as the pouch I used to carry seeds in; about the size of a small melon. If this was just ten percent of what I had brought back… I smiled. "I will, Kota-san. Many thanks."

Ritsu left the tent with me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. "What are you going to buy with your first payroll?", he asked, grinning. I smiled, looking down at the bag in my hands. "You'll see."

A few days later, I entered the tent I shared with Ritsu. He was sitting inside, writing in his record book. He looked up as I entered, a smile on his face. "Back from the market, I see.", he said. I nodded with a smile and sat down on my bedroll. I lay my bag down next to me. "So what did you get?", my teacher asked, going back to his book. I opened my bag. "I bought two new pairs of boots, a cloak, some fabric to make some new tunics with, a few books… you'll probably enjoy them…", I rambled, pulling out each item as I listed it. "And I got this." "Got what?", Ritsu asked, looking up. I held out the leather choker to him. "It's for you.", I said. His expression was that of curiosity as he took the band from my grasp. As he examined the gift, I told him the details. "It's the softest black leather I could find. The clasp is pewter with a brushed nickel finish. I had the design stamped into the front of the band and painted with dragon's blood, so it wouldn't wash away if it got wet. I hope you like it.", I finished.

Ritsu gaped at me. "You had this _made_? For me?", he asked. I nodded. "I wanted to get you something… to show my appreciation…", I said, blushing a little bit. "Do you not like it?" Ritsu smiled. "I love it. I just… wasn't expecting you to get me anything. The craftsmanship alone would have cost a fortune, not to mention the materials…", he explained, running his thumb over the leather. Ritsu gazed at me. "Thank you, Soko. I'll always wear it." I beamed. Gazing at the choker one more time, my mentor smiled and put it around his neck. The clasp clicked shut. 'So I had chosen the right length after all…', I thought, gazing at the band. "How's it look?", he asked. I stared at the design that was imprinted in the leather. It was a blue fox curled up into the shape of a water droplet, surrounded by swirling water patterns. I smiled. "It looks good.", I stated. Ritsu smiled as well and got up to come sit next to me. "I love you, Soko. Don't forget it.", he said, pulling me into a gentle hug. I snorted. "Yeah, only because I buy you stuff.", I said jokingly. Ritsu laughed and pulled me into a headlock. "Belittling my care for you, are we?", he asked. I pulled at his arms. "No!", I squealed. "I love you too!" Ritsu laughed and kissed my cheek before releasing me from his hold. I laughed. I turned to look at him. "I'm glad you like it, Ri.", I told him. He smiled and ruffled my hair. "You have good taste.", he said.

The tent flap opened, revealing Imour, Kota's assistant. The gentle dog demon gave us a smile. "What is it, Imour?", Ritsu asked. The inu looked at me. "Kota thanks you for the gift.", he told me. I smirked. "Tell him I said, 'Thank _you_.'" Imour smiled again and left without another word. Ritsu gave me a questioning look. "What?", I asked. "What did you get Kota?", he asked, folding his arms. I looked up at the ceiling of the tent. "Oh nothing… just a dagger.", I said, absently. "What was is made of?", Ritsu asked. "Sharpened dragon scales…", I muttered. My mentor laughed. "You're going to regret that!", he said, tackling me to the ground. I yipped in surprise. "Not if he keeps giving me ten percent!"

~*~

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Comments? I'll give you ten percent! XD

~*~Soko~*~


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